Automatic reversing mechanism



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April 22, 1952 E. DAWSON AUTOMATIC REVERSING MECHANISM Filed July 7, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR E0 WRD/QWSQN ATTORNE April 22, 1952 E. DAWSON AUTOMATIC REVERSING MEcHANIsM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 7, 1949 .im ...lill

www ,.w/ 71W n www lNvENToR ED VVA/P0 W50/V April 22, 1952 E. DAWSON AUTOMATIC REVERSING MECHANISM 3 SheeN-Sheet 3 Filed July 7, 1949 C Z y 2 N FM Fm MM W Em mm Mm zw om wa r4 0N s p/ Y R @y ya W w WU A# c lm w k 2 W W 0 n R c N5 m V o 0 wd W m R W Mm M WW E y N Y sn Fm 4M we Amw RWM 4% N rf MY/ sv 04P M 6W w 4H INVENTOR #ik M j l-ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 22, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT 'OFFICE AUTOMATIC REVERSING MECHANISM Edward Dawson, New York, N. Y., assigner to The Sperry Corporation, -a corporation of Delaware Application July "i, 1949, Serial No. 103,465

11 Claims. 1 This invention relates to automatic reversing mechanisms and particularly concerns a mechanism vwherein the reversal .may be smoothly effected without loss 'of synchronism between the input :and output shafts.

`Various methods .are known to the art for re versing the relative direction of rotation of two shafts. In many of these :devices .the reversal is effected manually, while others it vmay be made to Aoccur k'automatically on completion of apredetermined 'number of revolutions of 'an 'input shaft, or else 'it may be 'made 'to occur at specified time intervals. .Reversing mechanisms are often used `v`in automatic ymachinery when the ycycles of operation are V'based upon periodic reversals of a drive Shaft. Reversing mechanisms are also used in such instruments Vas cam mechanisms for `determning the values of periodic functions, in scanning devices, and in many other technico. applications.

An elementary form of reversing mechanism that is extensively used, because of its simplicity, is that 4which reversal is accomplished by sh'ift ing a jaw clutch from engagement with one drive shaft to 'engagement with :another Adrive shaft that is geared Vto rotate in the opposite direction. Howeven'this sort of mechanism has inherent disadvantages which make it unsuitable formany applications. A 'principal disadvantage .is that the reversal is abrupt v'and lis accomplished by impact with consequent noise and risk of damage tothe mechanism. [i vsecond disadvantage Vis that indefinite amounts of relative rotation .between v'the input and the output lshafts `may `occur during reversals and this :defect becomes par ticul'arly pronounced when the load :transmitted is large. In the past, attempts have been made to 'minimizethe effect of mpactand to `obtain ,a gradual reversal, bythe .use of a ifriction clutch or hydraulic coupling. While these modications tend to reduce shock, they ido. not prevent the loss of synchronism between'the `input and Aoutput shafts.

The mangle wheel `isvone of the .few mechanisms known to the art that is capable of effecting a gradual reversal while maintaining synchronism between the input and output shafts, .but 'the limited amplitude of output motion that can be obtained with it renders it unsuitable for many purposes.

Therefore, a primary feature of the present inventionis the provision of a reversing mechanism wherein the output shaft is made to stopV and start gradually during reversal.

Another feature is the provision, in a reversing nism of the input and Voutput shafts throughout the reversing cycle, although the output shaft v may go through unlimited rotations between reversals. A `further feature is provided in that uniform velocity .drive from input to-output :shafts between periods of reversal is accomplished through'a minimum number of gear meshes.

A further -feature is inthe provision of a reversing mechanism that is suitable for `mechanica-l, electrical, hydraulic, C11-pneumatic initiation of the reversing cycle, with either automatic or manual control.

Astill further feature is in the reversibility of the rotation -of the input shaft at any time without loss of synchronisrn. These and other .features will become more readily discernible from the specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates, in schematic form, a reversing mechanism in raccordance 'with `a preferred einbodiment of the invention;

Fig, `l2 is a cross section of a detail of Fig. .1'A

including the drive shaft andthe contra-rotating drive gears;

Fig. 3 is a schematic form of an alternative v embodiment of `the ,present invention;

nig. 4 juustrates graphically the time-position and i3 to contra-rotating gears i4 and I5. gear l I4 being mounted with pinion I3 on shaft i6, and" gear 1'5 :being mounted on a separate shaft I l. Gears I4 and 15 are arranged to lie in a common plane and are arranged to mesh. Also provided on shafts 'i6 and Il respectively are contra-rotating pinions i8 and IB arranged 'to lie Lin separateplanes. Gears i8 vand i9 mesh with coaxial pinions `Ziand ,'22 respectively, fand 'cause these pinions 'to ,rotate in Aopposite directions. Each of .pinions 2| and 22 is provided with a key-way. the pinion 2i having ,key-way 23 and pinion 22 having `a key-Way 24. The key-ways are ybetter viewed from Fig. 2 of :the drawing which also shows the shaft '25 and its :key 26 which. in Fig. 1,:is illustrated .as engaging the shaft 25 to the pinion-22.

The key-ways 23 :and 24 serve to permit the key 26 to engageeither the pinion 2-|.,.or the pinion of reversal. The key 26 is an integral part of shaft 25 and is positionable axially upon the axial displacement of shaft 25. Shaft 25 is arranged to be axially positionable by means of a scotch yoke generally identified as 21. A thrust bearing 28 secures the rotatable shaft 25 so as to be axially displaceable by action of scotch yoke 21, although the shaft 29, interconnecting the scotch yoke 21 with the thrust bearing 28, is prevented from rotation. The amount of axial displacement of the drive shaft 25 is determined by the action of the scotch yoke 21, and the key 26 Will either engage the driving pinion 22, thereby causing the shaft 25 to rotate in one direction, or upon axial displacement of the drive shaft 25 through action of the scotch yoke 21, the key 26 may thereupon be made to engage the pinion 2| and thus drive the output shaft 25 in the opposite direction.

In the present embodiment the reversing cycle is illustrated as being initiated by a timing mechanism 3|, which is driven by, and hence responsive to, the rotation of the input shaft The input rotation is imparted to the timing mechanism 3| through the meshing pinions 32, shaft 33and pinions 34. After a predetermined number of input revolutions, the number of revolutions being preset in the timing mechanism 3|, the cam 35 is caused to rotate, causing the cam follower 36 to follow the contour of the track 31 of the cam 35. The cam follower 36 is mounted on a rocker arm 38 pivoted at point 39. Therefore, when the cam follower 36 is caused to move, the yoke `42 at the lower end of the rocker arm 38'will be moved to the left and shaft 43 secured to the yoke 42 will also be axially positioned to the left, as illustrated in Fig. 1. On the opposite end of shaft 43 from the yoke 42, is a Geneva cam 44 which is normally idle and rests upon the non-rotating cylindrical surface of the housing, 45, which acts as a detent. Upon angular displacement of the shaft 43 leftWard, pin 48 of Geneva drive member 43 which is rotated by the shaft 46 isY caused to enter one of the slots on the Geneva 'cam and accordingly rotationally displaces the Geneva cam and the shaft 43 from their position of rest to a position advanced by an amount dependent upon the number of slots in the Geneva cam 44. As the shaft 43'is rotated, anelongated gear v| mounted on that shaft and meshing with gear 52, imparts rotation to the gear 52 and its mounting shaft 53. Rotation of shaft 53 causes two crank mechanisms or scotch yokes 21 and 54 to be driven, each through one half of a revolution. As explained earlier, crank mechanism or scotch yoke 21 shifts drive shaft 25 axially so that key 26 passes from engagement with drive pinion 22 to drive pinion 2|, or vice versa. However, during the translation of shaft 25, scotch yoke 54 also rotates through one half of a revolution and acts, through rack 55, to cause pinion 56, also mounted on drive shaft 25 and designated as'the reversing pinion, to accelerate from rest, reach a maximum speed in one direc- Whenthe key 26 passes from engagement with pinion- 22 to pinion 2|, the speed of reversing pinion 56 is rst arranged to increase until it equals that of drive pinion 22. It is at this time,-

that the key 26 is sliding from the key-way of pinion 22 into one of the key-Ways of reversing` pinion 56. Then,`reversing pinion '56 comes to rest, halting rotation of the drive shaft 25. Next,

reversing pinion 56 accelerates Vin the opposite direction until it matches the speed of pinion 2| when key 26 slides from reversing pinion 56 into the key-way of pinion 2|, a'nd nally reversing pinion 56 is brought to a gradual stop at its original position. When the key 26 slides from engagement with pinion 2| to pinion 22, the preceding sequence is reversed with the exception that the key 26 passes through a different key- Way in reversing pinion 56. The two key-Ways in pinion 56 are indicated at 51 and 58 and the angle between them may be calculated mathematically. At the end of the reversing cycle, the cam follower 36 is moved away from the axis of rotation of cam 35 so that Geneva cam 44 is returned to its detent on fixed cylindrical surface 45 and unidirectional drive froin the input shaft to the output shaft 25 is maintained through drive pinion v2| or 22 until the beginning of the next reversal. lThe output gear is shown at 59 as an elongated gear to permit translation of the shaft 25.

An alternative embodiment of the instant lnvention is shown in Fig. 3 and, as many of the elements of the embodiment to be described are similar to those already described, they bear like numbers to those they bore in Fig. 1. The scotch yoke 54 of Fig. 1 together with rack 55 which served to supply the reversing pinion 56 with a reciprocating motion during the reversing cycle, have been replaced by a disc (or hub) 6| having a crank arm 62 secured to a link 63 which is attached to the input gear I8 at a point displaced from its center. rFhis arrangement imparts to the disc 6| an oscillating motion at all times that shaft rotates. The disc 6I and its associated mechanism serve the same function, during the reversing cycle, that the scotch yoke 54 and rack 55 served in the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1. An important difference in the operation of the two embodiments is that in the second embodiment the disc 6| is in constant oscillation, Whenever an input rotation is imparted to shaft |I, and this motion is substituted for the motion that was supplied by the scotch yoke 54 and rack 55 of Fig. 1. An advantage presented by the apparatus shown in Fig. 3 is that a more direct drive from the input is provided for the reversing components. i

The graph of Fig. 4 illustrates' the reversing cycle with particular reference to the position of the key-way as the reversing cycle progresses. From the graph it can be seen that at the start of the reversing cycle, the angular position of the key-way in the reversing pinion is approximately 36 displaced from the'angular position of the key-way in one of the drive pinions. However, as the reversing pinion is brought up to speed, the angular positions very nearly coincide over a range of approximately 10 and it is in this range that the key enters the reversing pinion.

Similarly, the transfer of the key from the reversing pinion to the oppositely rotating pinion is accomplished when the angular positions of the reversing pinion and the 'second pinion are in agreement. i

[i second alternative embodiment of the instant otable about the rod 16 and rocking motion may be imparted to the'rocker arm 15 by the connectmadetorotate by elements to'l behereinaiterf de-y scribed, the; rocker-f arm I5-'f will cause; the' shaft! 14th-move toward the coupling 'I3 thereby en@A y gaging the input shaft 'II to the shaftJAfL-and?.

causing the driving` pinion "I9 mou-nt'ed thereon tot*rotate` in'- accordance the: input. y

ranged on sliaftl I f fbrcontra-rotation' relativ 85.` A secondi: drive: pinion.8.9.: mounted om thef-K sh'alft iBILf and rotates inioppositey direction: tor: the:- drilve: pinion 79:.. In betvveenxzthe: twoV driving.

pinionsV 19 and .88.. is a. reversing 5 pinion: ditv which:`

isfmounte'dl for rotation onithe 'dri-ve shaft.- t2` t and; meshes with eachloffthedrive .pinions 19 andf.y Inasmuch as .the Wheels 88 and 'IB with oisetv pins.. are. mounted. onv a common. shaft- 9.3, by ar:- ra-nging thel arm. 'III andi 8:1 to" be.1out ofgphase. the; shaft 84 may: be.Y marie-tobefin a coupled. rela-tionwith shaft. 8.I whilertheishaf-t'Mf'will be ina.disengaged-.relation toy the sha-ftelll In the. positions shown. in.- the'r drawing.. the: reversing; pinion 9I. being driven by the drive. piniontl through the. shaft84, couplingn 83', `shaft 8 I con-- trarrotating gears. 82 and. 'I2, andinput.shatHLy By rotating the: shaft QSLthecOupling 33.1 will disengage shaft. 844 from shaft. ilrIv and at. the.

same itime. shaft- 'I4n vvill.y become engaged'througlrl thecoupling T3] to` be. drivenlby theshait. 'I.`I`,.A and. thedrive. pinion 'I9 wilIthereuponseri/e to drive the` reversing pinion 9'I andhence. output shaft. 9`2,.i`n the. opposite direction.

In order to' eiectthe.aforementioned'reversal a rocker. arm IUI' is provided'to be actuatedby'V a timing. mechanism' which" inv this instance is shown disassociated from theinput. Thetini-l ing mechanism may beactua'ted" manna-1152,. or in; any..vv other desired marmer:` Upori displace?- ment' of' ther'top of the rocker arm; to tire. left: in" theFig 5, iti'will rotate abouti the axis Iii?? and will displace tlieyoke' I'ii3'" to* the' rightA in the dravving Secured' tdthe' yoke IE5? iorboth axial transiationand freerotation'is al shaft IM" oniwhich isimonnted a' Geneva cam' Ii3`5 whichk normallyrestsron the circumference-of ti'iewfheei1 I/ I5 which is.'rotatihgunderneathit; The 'wheel IGGand-theGeneva drivewmember Ifli'are corrnected to' theinput shaft 'I I through the) bevellecl44 gears l'and* IM; the latter gear `being"mounted'- onthesliaf'tm f which" is2 continually rotatedffiomVA the input V'sha-ift; 'I'I Upondisplacement; or the shaft Iiito'-theleftfin*the drawing," the' pin II number of slitslin` theGeneval cantY w51: This' shaftf I I4is a'scotchyole I-I5 whichi'svarranged toicausenthel rackIlI tohavel areciproeating moti'onfto: drivesfthe-pinion I ITIS andi theashaitl I'I'' mcunftedoni. thashaiit: ma: provided witte-a-w the input.- sliaft' is aE gear` member. ai; meshing.; WitlI-'gea-r."'125.-4 The shaftiAI-is alsotpiioviie'cilwith:A acoupling' device: BSl-Which may secure-the l'ia'ftll` MIT causethe `shaft-I I-'8 to be positioned axially uponrotation ofthecamIiI 9.1- A'- pin |22V secured?withv inthe detent-I 231' Will-produce' thisfaxial displace-1- ment.- It cani. bei seenA that when` the reversing. cycle.-

started;Athe-.clutc'l'ry I23 may` causetheil reversing pinionVv 9 Iy andi thel drive shaft" 92 to.;v beiengagedi with L thezsiiaft IJII8v which inthe.` mean timer'has' beenlbrought up tolsyncnronous; speed With the driving: pinion: by means. ofthezracki I-I andpinio'n I'II'I'.. Thereupon the rackandpinion I Ilandrll 1.. causeithezdriveshait 92. to slowdown..

stop. yreverse direction: of. rotation... and.; assume.

a.:speed.` synchronous: with the remaining;v driver.

l pinion which; isrotating. in .thefoppositePdirection..

Astli'ek shaftiSSt continues; tov rotate.. the opposite: drive pinionl isiengaged to theload.V At thisrpoint; the cam IIS disengage'srelutch.E23'untilltheneat reversing3 cycle. is commenced,

. Sinceimany-l changescould becmade'inA theab'oven construction. andV many apparently widely dif--A ferent embodiments` ofi thisV invention: could be made. without departure from the scope thereof.v itisuinten'ded that all; matter contained in the. above description or shown' in the.Y a'ccornpanying.v drawingsshall be interpreted as illustrative. andv not. ina limiting sense.

Whatis claimed 1;. In a. reversing mechanism. an.y input chai-tf. adriven shaftghaving arpair'of contra.-rotating--v gears thereon driven by said input shaft, .avthiizdgearfon said driven sha-it, a gear rack.meshing withisaidthird'gear, each: or. said gears having a keyway, said driven shaftfhavin'g-` a. key;` and` being; axially positionable toi selectively engage one of saidpairV of'gears; a' scotch yoke'secured., to one end or" saidgear i'ack'to providesaine with; reciprocating; motion', means: for initiating said, reciprocatingmotion;to provide saidlthird gear with., arotational. speedY equal torthat of the enr i gaged.A gear, and. meansv orcausing ,said position--v able; key tobemoved v from: engagement with said engaged gear to engagement withsaid third gear. 2, A reversing/mechanism: comprising an input shaft; aipair. of. members mountedtobe contrarotatable in accordance with, rotationy oi said inputshaft; anoutput shaft having; a rotatable reversingfmember mountedithereon and normally disengaged'.therefrom, engaging. means for selectively securing atleast. oneofl said. members to" saidoutputfshaft, meanslactive at. the initiation ofathereversin'g .cyclet for.A causing said reversing' memberi'tofberotated lrstly'in` one direction to" ansp'eedzi.synchronous. with one of. said. contra-rdf4 tatingpair;Ito` decelerateand reverse. in direction,

and. then.,- b-e". rotated. in. an opposite direction to a.speed;synchronous.withrthe other of said con-ftra-rotating pain; and means' for shifting said engaging meansirornsecuring one: of. said pair of. members? tosaid: reversing. member. at saidl flrstementioned pointiof synchronousv speedV then shifting'saidzengagingmeans-from said reversing. member to said other oi said pair of members at said; second-mentionedy point of. synchronous speed.. Y

v 3. Areversing mechanismfcomprising an input. siiaity apairof membersfone mounted for rota# tion. Wi'thcsaidyinput; shaft I and;. one mountedv ior-l rotationzona second shaft having its axis-'parallelto' said.; inputv shaft,... said. members".` lying in a., common planeanda connected for rotation` inopposite directionsazipair of: drive members; each` mounted.:f on'. af shaft; coaxial. with.` one of. said; mention'ed` shafts;` a coupling.V device'sselectively: connecting; each.. or; said; coaxial. shafts .togermer.;v

7 a, driven shaft having a reversing wheel thereon lying in a plane common to said drive members, said driven shaft lying on an axis parallel to said above-mentioned axes, one or the other of said pair of drive members being adapted to selectively drivably engage said reversing Wheel, means selectively coupling one of said pair of drive members with said reversing Wheel and simultaneously uncoupling the other of said drive members from said input shaft, a reciprocating member, a third coupling selectively securing said driven shaftto said reciprocating member, means causing said reciprocating member to attain a speed in the direction of the engaged one of said drive members, and cam means for engaging said last-mentioned coupling when synchronous speed between said driven shaft and said one drive member' is achieved.

4. In a reversing mechanism, a unidirectional input member, an output member,` coupling means for coupling said output member with said input member to be driven thereby and for uncoupling said two members, means connected with said input member for driving said output member in the same direction and at the same speed as said input member when said input and output members are unc-oupled, and means driven in timed relation to said last-mentioned means for effecting a coupling operation of said coupling means while said members are driven in synchronism.

5."In a reversing mechanism, a pair of oppositely rotating input members and an output member, coupling means for coupling said output member with one or the other of said input members to be driven thereby and for uncoupling the same, means connected with said input members for driving said Output member in synchronism with one or the other of said input members when one or the other of said input members and said output member are uncoupled, and means driven in timed relation to said last-mentioned means for effecting a coupling operation of Said coupling means while the one or the other of said input members and said output member are driven in synchronism,

6. In a reversing mechanism, an input member and an output member, a pair of driving members connected with said input member for rotation in opposite directions, coupling means for coupling said output member with one or the other of said driving members and for uncoupling the same, means connected with said input member for alternately driving said output member first in the same direction and at the same speed as one of said driving members then in the same direction and at the same speed as the other of said driving members, and means driven in timed relation to said last-mentioned means for effecting a coupling operation of said coupling means While one or the other of said driving members and said output member are driven in synchronism.

7. In combination, a device for initiating a reversing cycle, an input shaft and an outputshaft, a pair of contra-rotating members connected for rotation by said input shaft, a third reversibly-rotatable member connected with said input shaft for rotating the same first in synchronism with one of said members and then in synchronism with the other of said members, coupling means for selectively coupling one or the other of said members to said output shaft, and means controlled by said initiating device for transferring said coupling means rst from said 8 reversibly-rotatable member to the one of said pair of members when the same are rotating in synchronism and then from said reversiblyrotatable member to the other of said pair of members when the same are rotating in synchronism.

8. In a reversing mechanism, an input shaft, a pair of contra-rotating drive members connected for rotation by said input shaft, a rotatable member mounted on an output shaft and drivably engageable therewith, means for selectively engaging one of said drive members with said output shaft, means operative at the initiation of the reversing cycle for rotating said rotatable member synchronously with said en gaged drive member and before completion of said reversing cycle for rotating said rotatable member synchronously with the other of said drive members, means operative during the reversing cycle for disengaging said engaged drive member from said output shaft, engaging said rotatable member with said output shaft, and disengaging said rotatable member 'from said output shaft and engaging the other of said driving members with said output shaft during the periods of synchronous rotation of said members.

9. A reversing mechanism comprising in combination, an input shaft, an output shaft, a pair of drive members rotatably mounted on the output shaft, means actuated by the input shaft to rotate the drive members in opposite directions, a third drive member rotatably mounted on the output shaft, means operable to rotate the third drive member in the same direction and to a speed synchronous with one of the pair of drive members and then rotate it in the opposite direction and to a speed synchronous With the other of the pair of drive members, means operable to engage any of the drive members with the output shaft, said last recited means being normally effective to engage one of the pair of drive members with the shaft, and means operable to shift the engaging means from engagement with one of the pair of drive members to engagement with the third drive member during the period of their synchronous rotation and to .shift the engaging means from engagement with the third drive member to engagement with the other of the pair of drive members during the period of their synchronous rotation.

10. A reversing mechanism comprising, in combination, an input shaft, an output shaft, a pair of drive members rotatably mounted on the output shaft, means actuated by the input shaft to rotate the drive members in opposite directions, a third drive member rotatably mounted on the output shaft, means operable intermit= tently to rotate the third drive member in the same direction and to a speed synchronous with one of the pair of drive members and then rotate it in the opposite direction and to a speed synchronous with the other of the pair of drive members, means operable to engage any of the drive members with the output shaft, said last recited means being normally effective to engage one of the pair of drive members with the shaft, and means operable to shift the engaging means from engagement with said one of the pair of drive members to engagement with the third drive member during the period of their synchronous rotation and to shift the engaging means from engagement with the third drive member to engagement with the other of the pair of drive members during the period of their synchronous rotation.

11. A reversing mechanism comprising, in oombination, an input shaft, an output shaft, a pair of gears rotatably mounted on the output shaft,

means actuated by the inputshaft to rotate the gears in opposite directions, a third gear rotatably mounted on the output shaft, means operable intermittently to rotate the third gear in the same direction and to a speed synchronous with one of the pair of gears and then rotate it in the opposite direction and to a speed synchronous with the other of the pair of gears, means operable to engage any of the gears with the output shaft, said last recited means being normally effective to engage one of the pair of gears with the shaft, and means operable to shift the engaging means from engagement with said one of the pair of gears to engagement with the REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 352,862 Duncan Nov. 16, 1886 1,873,531 Bixby Aug. 23, 1932 2,123,298 Bollinger July 12, 1938 2,258,475 Sinclair Oct. 7, 1941 2,408,067 Herzig Sept. 24, 1946 2,536,897 Wood Jan. 2, 1951 

